Photo film processing apparatus



Dec. 1K9, 1950 C, KATZEN ET AL 2,534,604 I 'PHOTO FILM PROCESSING APPARATUS Gyn/5 /lfajeru P-57,5. d www@ @m5,

ATTORNEY- Dec. 19, 1950 c, KATZEN ET AL l 2,534,604

PHOTO FILM PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cyrus Kai/jaw l arm 7om45 /e Gamas,

ATTOR N EY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 OFFICE PHOTO? FILM PR'CESSING APPARATUS Cyrus Katzen and Thomas R. Games, Washington, D. C.

Application-,November 30, 1948, SerialNo. 62,704

2 Claims.

This invention deals. with photographic Iiuid treating apparatus, and hasv for its principal object to provide a mechanism by which photographic lms, plates or the like, and especially medical and dental X-rayr films and plates, may be subjected toa predetermined sequence of iluid treating baths tovv develop, fix and wash the same underA standard or controlled conditions.

TheV invention is an improvement', in certain respects, uponv the photographic fluid treating machines disclosed in our- Vprior applications Serial. No'. 746,176' iiled Mayv 6, 1947., and Serial No. 52,184 led. Oct. 1,1948, but aims toprovide amechanism which: can be; producedl and soldat a greatly reduced. cost as. compared; with themachines of those prior cases, and which can be i-nstalled in: considerably vless space.

A further: object; of the invention is to provide a machine` which follows the principles of the prior inventions referred to in that the sequence of steps is accomplished by moving the solutions A themselves, rather than the iilms or plates, to` a relatively fixed treating location; however, in` the present application, the solutions-` are moved in bulk rather than as liquids via conduits, such movement being permitted. by arranging for a lateral (herein. vertical movement.- ofthefilm rack. or support out of. the:` path of the moving solutions' in their; tanks to permit the changing ot location of the solutions` in they manner set forth.

Still lanother'object of thev invention is to'pro'- vide a machine which, while fully automatic in operation, requires a substantially smaller number of controls and similar components than do thearrangements of our prior applications; for example, no magnetic valves or theY likey needI be used, sincer the solutions are not passed. through pipesor tubes but aremoved in bulk.

yThe above andv other objects andv advantages f same form of the device,

Fig. 4 is a partial rear. view with the back plate Iii) removed or broken away to illustrate. the. guiding 'nedt arrangement of a tank array adapted to be 2, moved within the main housing of the machine, and,

Fig. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of the controls for the apparatus.

Referringl now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a developing machine comprising a relatively stationary housing I0 within which is reciprocably mounted an array of tanks, herein shown for example as three tanks I2, I4 and L6., these tanks desirably being fabricated as a unit, or -alternatively secured to one another so. that they move as a unit along a pair of tracksor rails I8, 20 (see also Figs. 2 and. 3). Housing lois provided with access. doors I3 and I5 to enable thetanks to be cleaned and lled with the appro,- priate solutions for developing and fixing.

Centrally of housing It there is provided an upwardly extending casing portionY 22 provided with a hinged lid or cover 24, this portion 22 being arranged to. receive the lm or plate carrier mechanism when in its elevated position as in Fig. 1. As here shown by way of example, the raisingv and lowering of the lm carriers is accomplished by a group of four electric solenoids, arranged at each corner of the upward casing extension 22, and` outside the walls of the triple tank assembly, said solenoids being designated by numeral 26 and each provided with a plunger 28 normally biassed to upward or raised position as by ya spring coiled below the plunger within the corresponding solenoid. A rack 3By is arranged to connect the upper ends, of the respective solenoid plungers, and is provided with serrated or notched front and rear legs 32, 34 to receive the extremities of the film or plate holders, as best shown in Fig. 3. It is obvious that when the four solenoids 26 are energized, they will retract the plungers against the pressure of the springs and cause the film. holding rack 38 to. be pulled down into. a position in which the iilms are beneath the level of liquid. in whichever tank is located beneath` the casing portion 22, and when. the solenoids are deenergized, the springs willl operate to raise the nlm holders upwardly into the casing part. 22, in which position of the iilmsV they will be out of the way of the moving tanks, which may then be indexed sidewise to bring the next desired tank into operative relationship with the lms or plates.

Other elevating mechanisms, such as pneumatic or hydraulic pistons, motor driven rack and pinion gear, or the like, may obviously be substituted for the solenoids.

The leftfhand tank l2 may desirably contain a quantity oi. developer solution, while the central tank I4 contains wash water, and the right hand tank I6 contains the xer solutions. Thus, with the parts in their Fig. 1 position, with the central tank I4 beneath casing part 22, the films or plates will be pulled down into the wash water upon the energization of the solenoids, and removed therefrom when the solenoids are disconnected from the circuit.

The manner in which the series of tanks may be conveniently and reliably indexed to their de sired and successive positions will be described in connection with Figs. 4 and 6. Fig. 4 is a rear View of a portion of the casing I6 with its back wall broken away to show the rear track or rail 20 and the anti-friction rollers 32, upon which the tank assembly is allowed to roll under the impetus of force applied from a motor 34 (Figs. 2 and 3) through a pulley wheel 36 about which is reaved a cord or the like 38 having its ends connected to extremities of the tank assembly as clearly` shown in Fig. 4. When the pulley 36 is rotated in one direction or the other, the tank assembly is corresrondingly shifted to the right or left. A series of three limit or position-controlling switches 46, 42 and 44 are positioned along the path of the tank assembly and each has one set of its contacts in series with either the rightor left-hand turning windin".r of the motor 34. The manner in which the rrotor, switches and a timer mechanism operate to position the tanks in their successive positions to carry thefi'llms through a predetermined cvcle will be described in detail in connection with Fig. 6.

Fig. of the drawings shows a modified form of tank assembly in which a water .iacket 58 is provided for the control of the temperatures of the tanks and their solutions, the jacket being supplied with circulating water from a manifold 52- which also supplies the wash water reouired in the central tank. It is to be understood that the solutions contained in the developer and fixer tanks are retained therein normally until exhausted, but the wash water may be allowed to circulate continually, or may be selectively controlled by magnetic valves .in accordance with the teachings of our prior applications above referred to. The drain lines as indicated schematically by numeral 54 are preferably formed of flexible hose material, such as rubber or the like, and are of suflicient length to enable the entire movable tank assembly to assume its desired positions without interference from such lines. In order to provide for draining the developer and fixer tanks, they may be provided with petcocks or the like communicating with the drain line for the wash tank, or the inter-tank walls may be apertured so as to enable the developer and nxer solutions to flow into the central or washing tank upon removal of Stoppers (indicated by numeral 55 in Fig. 5) from such apertures. The wash water from city mains, for example, may be continuously admitted to the tank I4 and allowed to flow therefrom via an overflow pipe of known construction, arranged for removal to permit complete emptying of the washing tank for transportation, cleaning or similar purposes.

As indicated in Fig. 6, one of the three movable tanks, herein the developer tank l2, is provided. with a switch-operating protuberance or cam 66 adapted to control the operation of the three switches 461, 42 and 44. Also in that figure, u1u-- meral'34 designates the reversible motor whosef two windings L and R are selectively energized to drive the pulley 36 suitably driven from the4 motor by reduction gearing or the like. A timer which,

may be of the same general type as shown in our prior applications, comprises a suitable timer mo tor 64 having a contact arm 66 which is slowly rotated over a series of contact bars 68, 10, 12 and 14, making for example one revolution in thirty minutes, or such other time as is required for a complete cycle of nlm treatment. Timer arm 66 is shown in Fig. 6 as occupying the position corresponding to the completion of a cycle of operations, in which position it is out of contact with a ring 16 which with arm 66 is connected across the terminals of the start button 18 through the normally open contact of a relay R. Upon operation of button 18, current passes from line 86 of the electric supply to the coil of relay R and timer motor 64 and thence to the opposite line 82, starting the timer; also, the relay contacts close to maintain the motor circuit for a complete revolution, or at least until the arm 66 again passes off of ring 16.

The treatment tanks at the time of initiation are in a position in which the central tank i4 (wash water) is positioned beneath the loading hatch cover 24, and of course a batch of undeveloped lms have been loaded onto rack 36. As soon as timer arm 66 has contacted the segment 68 of the timer, a circuit is completed via lead 84, the leaf of switch 46 and its upper fixed contact to the L winding of motor 34, thus shifting the tank assembly to the left until switch 40 is operated by the cam 6D, thus opening the circuit to the upper contact of switch 46 and stopping the lmotor 34.` At the same time, the circuit is completed to the lower fixed contact of switch 46, which completes a circuit via lead 86 to the solenoids 26, causing the film rack 36 to be drawn down to place the lms in the developer solution contained in tank l2, where they remain for a predetermined time controlled by the length of time required for the timer arm 66 to pass olf of the segment 68 of the timer. When this occurs, the solenoid circuit is interrupted, and the rack 30 rises to lift the films out of the developer.

As soon as timer arm 66 proceeds to the next segment 10 of the timer, a circuit is completed via lead 88 to the lower leaf 9U of switch 42 (which is now of course in raised position since cam 60 is over switch 4l] and not over switch 42), and thence via lead 92 to the right winding R of motor 34, whichY causes the motor 34 to drive the tank assembly to the right a distance equal to the center-to-center separation of adjacent treatment tanks, or until cam 66 again depresses switch 42. This occurs when the central tank I4 is beneath the (raised) nlm rack 30, and the reclosure of switch 42 completes a circuit through its lower xed contact to lead 86 and energizes the solenoids 26 to cause the film holder rack to dip the films into the washing tank for purposes of rinsing the films of developer retained thereon from tank I2. When timer arm 66 passes off of the relatively short segment 1li, the solenoids 26 are deenergized to raise the lm rack permitting the films to drain into the wash tank.

Timer arm 66 now proceeds to make contact with segment 12, completing a circuit through the upper contact of switch 44 to again energize the motor 34 through its R winding, driving the tank assembly another step to the right, until cam 56 operates switch 44, opening the motor circuit with the fixer tank I6 beneath the film rack 36,l andV closing through its lower contact a circuit to the solenoids 26 to cause the rack 30 to dip the films' into the xer solution in that tank. When timer arm 66 leaves the segment 12, whose length is made such as to give the films the required fixing time, the circuit to the solenoids is interrupted and the lm rack rises to terminate the xing step.

Further motion of arm 66 onto segment 74 of the timer completes a circuit through switch blade 94 of switch 42 (now of course in un-operated position) to the upper fixed contact of that switch and thence to the L winding of the motor 34 to drive the tank assembly leftward one step, or until cam 69 operates switch 42, to place the wash tank again beneath the film rack, which is then lowered by energization of solenods 26 by reason of closure of switch blade 90 to its lower xed contact. The parts remain in this condition until the timer arm 66 moves off of the segment 16, which deenergizes the solenoids, raising the film rack, and which also opens the circuit of relay R and timer motor 64, so that the machine now remains quiescent until another cycle is initiated by operation of button 18 after the lm racks have been removed and reloaded with fresh undeveloped film.

In order to provide for adjustment of the development time in accordance with the temperature of the solution, a slip clutch may be connected between the shaft of timer contact arm BB and the motor 64, and an operating or manual control knob may be connected to the arm 66 and carry a pointer cooperating with a scale S of development times. With the machine at rest, operation of the manual control knob to advance the timer arm 66 along the segment 68 will subtract a portion of the development cycle which is commenced upon the next operation of button 18.

Many changes and modications may be made in the apparatus as disclosed herein, without departing from the spirit of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A photographic fluid treating apparatus comprising a plurality of fluid containing tanks including a central tank, all arranged side by side one another and movable as a unit back and forth between predetermined limits along a xed path, a photographic film-supporting rack arranged for movement along a path perpendicular to the first path, reversible motor means for reciprocating said tanks between said limits, and

control means for periodically energizing said motor means to move said tanks stepwise with respect to said rack and means for moving said rack intermittently to position films supported thereby within said tanks in a predetermined sequence, whereby once during each excursion of said tanks between said limits said central tank is disposed beneath said rack.

2. A photographic iiuid treating apparatus comprising a container, a housing extending upwardly from the central portion of said container, a plurality of solution tanks mounted within said container for rectilinear movement, as a unit, lengthwise thereof to place a selected one of said tanks beneath said housing, a i'ilm supporting rack arranged for vertical reciprocation into and downwardly out of said housing whereby to dip films or plates carried thereby into a selected tank, reversible power operated driving elements for automatically moving said tanks intermittently back and forth in a predetermined sequence to position the same selectively beneath said housing, and control means for maintaining said rack in elevated position during movement of said tanks and for lowering said rack into each tank, in a predetermined sequence, during periods when said tanks are stationary.

CYRUS KATZEN. THOMAS R. GAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 432,903 Sacco July 22, 1890 750,665 Lesperance Jan. 26, 1904 1,653,408 Olsen Dec. 20, 1927 1,825,709 Bacino Oct. 6, 1931 2,183,742 Hershberg Dec. 19, 1942 2,380,378 Allen July 31, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 469,380 France May 19, 1914 25,171 Norway Oct. 26, 1914 592,976 Germany Feb. 19, 1934 

